Trickling along in traffic and riding over
speed humps we almost forgot we were driving a car that recently came in the Top
15 in this year’s Targa Tasmania road racing event. It’s comfortable – seemingly
too comfortable for a car that competes with other cars with rock-solid
suspension and grumpy engines. Stick your foot into it and there’s another
surprise. There’s no violent wheelspin or neck-straining acceleration; instead,
the car progressively builds speed until the blur of scenery tells you you’re
travelling at high velocity.
It’s the sort of car that feels unremarkable
from inside. But, judging by the dropped jaws of observers at the side of the
road, it’s definitely quick. Not to mention an absolute beast to look at!
Craig Dean, owner of Melbourne’s Sports and Luxury
Cars/Mustang Motorsport, has competed in Targa Tasmania driving a variety of
cars. But none of ‘em get the crowd excited like this – the current model
Mustang built to Saleen specs.
The new ‘Stang has a tough, retro look unlike any
other car on the road. And painted black, covered in promo stickers and with a
barking supercharged engine, it’s no wonder it’s a crowd favourite.
Accord to Craig, he entered the car in
the ’06 Targa event simply to show the car off.
“I didn’t drive it too hard,” he says
with a laugh.
Yeah right. Given the 14th position overall, he must have buried his foot on a few
occasions...
The car you see here isn’t a genuine Saleen
Supercharged S281 – it’s a GT-spec Mustang built to virtually Saleen spec. Open
the bonnet and you’ll find a Saleen twin-screw supercharger that can provide up
to 8 psi boost through a water-to-air intercooler. These are fitted in
conjunction with a re-flashed engine management system and a Saleen twin 2 ½
inch exhaust (which pokes through the centre of the rear bumper). The rest of
the 4.6-litre SOHC V8 remains standard. Official output for the Saleen
Supercharged S281 is a conservative 400 horsepower (325kW).
At present, the driveline remains in standard
Mustang GT spec. There’s a five-speed manual gearbox, factory heavy-duty clutch
and a stock LSD.
When it came to suspension tuning, Craig decided
to stick with what he knows rather than go for the Saleen suspension package.
Craig relies on custom springs and Koni adjustable shockers teamed with huge
Saleen swaybars.
“They’re as big as your arm,” Craig
says.
The brake combo for Targa comprises Saleen upgrade
front calipers with grooved discs with standard Mustang GT brakes at the rear.
Aftermarket performance pads are installed at each end and Craig says there were
no problems with fade during the event.
With the intent of promoting Mustang sales in
Australia, Craig decided it was essential to show off a Saleen body kit. The
S281 gives the already tough looking Mustang louvered side skirts, a composite
rear wing, new grille with compact fog lights and front and aprons. Craig has
also added Cobra-style stripes and Mustang Motorsport graphics. (Mustang
Motorsport is a division of Sports and Luxury Cars.)
The wheels seen in our pics are aftermarket 20
inchers but due to difficulties finding 20 inch road/race tyres, Craig installed
18 inch wheels for Targa. Bridgestone semi-slicks are Craig’s competition tyre
of choice. The big ‘Stang didn’t chew through tyres during targa despite its
considerable weight and supercharged grunt.
Here you can see the standard Mustang GT interior
equipped with Saleen on-dash gauges for boost pressure and intake air
temperature. Craig says charge-air temperatures reach a maximum of around 135
degrees Fahrenheit (57 degrees Celsius) when going for it. A few months before
our photo shoot, the car had been prep’d for Targa which involved installing a
roll cage, harnesses, race seats and all necessary safety equipment.
Even with its roll cage, race seats and the Konis
adjusted to their race setting, Craig says the Mustang is very comfortable to
drive hard for extended periods.
“It’s not as nimble as something like a Supra
twin-turbo – it has a heavier feel. But it stops just as well and its overall
pace is really quite good,” he says.
Next year, Craig plans to get serious about
achieving a high-end result at Targa; it won’t be just a promotional exercise.
With more horsepower, a Saleen six-speed gearbox, even bigger brakes and a
return to his usual co-driver, it looks like this crowd favourite will be right
up there kicking some Porsche butt!
Interested
in Owning a Saleen?
Craig
Dean currently imports and converts Mustangs and Saleens for registration in
Australia. If you’re interested in a piece of the action it’ll cost you around
AUD$120,000 for a brand new Mustang GT (depending on spec), about AUD$155,000 to
create a Saleen replica (as done here) or AUD$168,000 for a genuine supercharged
Saleen S281.
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